By Kristine Thomas
Roger Blamire took his oath in England while John Lalicker did it in Silverton. Yet the words they spoke are the same recited throughout the world.
They are Masons and on a warm September evening they met with fellow members Jerry Treber, Jason Tate and Ken Mead to share why they are proud to be a part of a long tradition of Masons serving their community.
“For me, joining the Masons was a sense of history,” Tate, 39, said. “The things that we do and the words that are spoken are the same that were spoken 400 years ago.”
According to the Masonic Service Association’s website, “No one knows with certainty how or when the Masonic Fraternity was formed. A widely accepted theory among Masonic scholars is that it arose from the stonemasons’ guilds during the Middle Ages. In 1717, four lodges in London formed the first Grand Lodge of England.”
A worldwide fraternity, the Masons emphasize personal study, self-improvement and social betterment via individual involvement and philanthropy.
Founded in 1868, The Silverton Mason Lodge is celebrating its 145th anniversary. The members invite the community to attend the dedication of its new lodge building, 110 Third St., Wednesday, Oct. 10, 7:30 p.m. There will be an open house Saturday, Oct. 12. 4 to 7 p.m. There are 39 members ranging from mid 20s to 90 years old in the Silverton Masonic Lodge.
While some civic organizations invite community members to join, that is not the case with the Masons.
To be a Mason, ask a Mason, they said, adding each new member is carefully vetted. “No one can slip in,” Lalicker, 90, said.
They said if a wife doesn’t want her husband to be a Mason, then he is automatically “blackballed.” “If the wife says no, then the lodge says no,” Tate said, adding they don’t want to cause any conflicts in a family.
It is not uncommon for members to hear they are a secret society. The five gentlemen quickly debunked that notion by asking if they were a secret society would they advertise their events in the paper and tell people the location of their lodge.
“How can we be a secret society when we go out and do things in the community,” Blamire said. “We are a society with secrets.”
While each man had his reasons for joining – from following in a relative’s footsteps to enjoying the rich traditions – they all said they became a Mason as a way to give back to the community.
Meeting once a month, the men said they enjoy one another’s friendship and that they each learn from one another what it means to be a “good man of character.”
“Every man in this group has a good moral compass,” Tate said. “These men in the Masons are trustworthy. There really is a sense of family and support provided by the Masons.”
There are two topics that are never discussed – politics and religion. They believe every man should be treated as an equal.
“In my lodge in England, we had a couple of men who were millionaires and men who had nothing,” Blamire said. “There is no discrimination in the Masons. All men are equal and treated as equals.”
“We live by example,” Lalicker said.
